Wednesday, March 9, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: O, MG! Each theme answer is a two word name, with the initial letters M and G.

17A. *Moscow park eponym : MAXIM GORKY.  Gorky Park is an amusement park in Moscow, named after the Russian/Soviet author born Aleksey Maksimovich Peshkov. The bitterness of his early experiences in Russia led him to choose the name Maxim Gorky (which means "the bitter one") as his pseudonym. 

61A. *"What's Going On" singer : MARVIN GAYE. LOVE any excuse to see his name. What a genius, and like many other brilliant artists, awash in drama and gone too soon. This tune seems appropriate, as tax filing time nears.

10D. *20th-century cartoonist who wrote "He Done Her Wrong," a 300-page pantomime tale : MILT GROSS. Billed as one of the greatest cartoonists of the 20th century. Complete title: He Done Her Wrong: The Great American Novel and Not a Word in It — No Music, Too. It's the story of a young man from out of the wilderness, coonskin cap and all, who falls in love with a fair maiden. 

32D. *"Mad Max" star : MEL GIBSON. Still in the doghouse.

61D. With "the," 48-Down's band (which sounds as if it could have included the answers to starred clues) : MG'S

48D. Leader of the band with the 1962 hit "Green Onions" : BOOKER T. I know this song because it is on the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies, Get Shorty. Look at me.

Melissa here. This seemed to be on the easy side for a wednesday, very few pauses or unknowns. Not a terribly exciting theme (MG), although i loved the trivia associated with all the above answers, and found lots excuses for musical tie-ins. 

Across

1. Doughnut shape : TORUS

6. Doofus : CLOD. Tried putz first.

10. Hi sign nicknames : MOMS. Hi, Mom!

14. Furniture wood : EBONY. 

15. Circle dance : HORA

16. Does a bakery job : ICES. Aced it.

19. "__ we forget" : LEST

20. Palm Treos, e.g., briefly : PDA'S. Personal Digital Assistant.

21. Tailless primate : APE

22. School orgs. : PTA'S. Parent Teacher Association.

23. Article for Adenauer : EIN. German, translates to a, an, one, on, or any. Konrad Adenauer was the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following WWII, he brought Germany prosperity, democracy, stability and respect. To a large extent Adenauer's policies still dominate Germany.

24. Upside-down frown : SMILE

26. __ Dei : AGNUS. Latin term meaning "Lamb of God." Rufus's take.

28. __ Andreas Fault : SAN. In my backyard. For now.

29. Bit of dogma : TENET

30. Poppycock : TRIPE

31. Opera setting, for short : THE MET. The Metropolitan Opera, in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Reminded me of Moonstruck, which just came up on the blog.

33. Outs partners : IN'S. In's and out's.

35. Hops-drying oven : OAST

36. Animals who often bear twins : EWES. Windhover!

38. Evokes wonder in : AWES

40. Asian sea : ARAL

43. It's not known for MPG efficiency : SUV. Sport Untility Vehicle - gas guzzler.

45. Soak up : ABSORB

49. Din in the library? : GUNGA. Gunga Din, one of Rudyard Kipling's most famous poems, from the point of view of a British soldier, about a native water-bearer (a "bhisti") who saves the soldier's life but dies himself. Jim Croce adapted the poem into a song for his album Facets.

51. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : MASHA. Olga, Maria (Masha) and Irina.

53. Big suit, briefly : CEO. "Suit" is slang for executive.

54. About the eye : OPTIC

55. Elect to take part : OPT IN

56. Hoo-ha : ADO

57. Option for Hamlet : TO BE. Or not to be.

58. Exxon Valdez cargo : OIL. Very moving documentary about the spill, Black Wave.

59. Short run, for short : ONE K. 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers.

60. Wimple wearers : NUNS. Medieval garment worn by women around the head.

64. Élan : BRIO. Enthusiastic vigor. Hm ... i need to start using this word.

65. Kindergarten staple : GLUE. And sometime snack.

66. Courtroom demand : ORDER. Order in the court!

67. Quite a long time : AEON

68. Pair in bunk beds, perhaps : SIBS. Siblings.

69. Burden bearer : BEAST

Down

1. Violent storm : TEMPEST

2. Shortest book in the Hebrew Bible : OBADIAH. After Amos, and before Jonah. I had to memorize all the books of the bible in order as a child. One of those things that sticks.

3. Steve Martin film based on "Cyrano de Bergerac" : ROXANNE. Mildly amusing movie. Better tune.

4. Colleges, to Aussies : UNI'S

5. Mozart's "Jupiter," e.g.: Abbr. : SYM. Symphony.

6. Noted composer of études : CHOPIN

7. Rhine siren : LORELEI. A rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the waterline. 

8. Mork's planet : ORK

9. "And God called the light __": Genesis : DAY

11. "1984" setting : OCEANIA. From Wikipedia: George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in Oceania, one of three intercontinental super-states who divided the world among themselves after a global war. 

12. Goofs : MESSUPS

13. Old JFK arrival : SST

18. Spermatozoa, e.g. : GAMETES. A cell that fuses with another cell during fertilization.

22. Frisk, with "down" : PAT. Pat-down.

24. Crock-Pot potful : STEW. Crock-Pot weather lately.

25. Sicilian mount : ETNA

27. Collector's goal : SET. 

34. East African language : SWAHILI

37. Sport for heavyweights : SUMO. Sumo wrestling.

39. Israeli diplomat Abba : EBAN

40. In days past : AGO

41. Burst : RUPTURE

42. Actor Banderas : ANTONIO

44. Vicks ointment : VAPORUB

46. Anthem for "eh" sayers : O CANADA. Canadians end a lot of their sentences with the confirming, "eh?" like Americans ask, "right?" or "you know?" at the end of sentences to make sure they are understood clearly or to verify that the other party agrees. Nice puzzle today, eh?

47. Overnight flights : RED EYES

50. Impeccable service : ACE. Tennis. Great clue.

52. "As I was going to __ ..." : ST. IVES. English nursery rhyme: 

         As I was going to St Ives

I met a man with seven wives

Each wife had seven sacks

Each sack had seven cats

Each cat had seven kits

Kits, cats, sacks, wives

How many were going to St Ives?

59. Fairy tale baddie : OGRE

60. Hoops org. : NBA. Basketball.

62. Poetic boxer : ALI

63. San Francisco's __ Hill : NOB. Also Telegraph Hill and Russian Hill.

Answer grid.

Melissa

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Robert Fisher

Theme: Insults 101 - Four common insults for when someone does something stupid are the last word of the theme entries when they precede the first word of the unifier.

17A. Not-so-humorous humerus spot: FUNNY BONE. Bonehead.

23A. Exam taker's dread: MENTAL BLOCK. Blockhead. 

39A. Daydreams: CASTLES IN THE AIR. Airhead.
 
49A. Devoid of niceties, as some politics: BARE KNUCKLE. Knucklehead.
 
61A. Racer's edge, or the ends of 17-, 23-, 39- and 49-Across, unflatteringly: HEAD START

Argyle here. I liked the theme; some of the fill, not so much.

Across:

1. Pert : SAUCY. If you remember, we had this before.

6. Top grade, in slang : ACE. I did find it used this way in Dictionary.com, listed as the last use as a noun.

9. Trees along tropical beaches : PALMS

14. Aptly named cooler brand : IGLOO. Image.

15. Small island : CAY. Sorry, not AIT today.

16. Perpendicular to the keel : ABEAM

19. Tri- plus bi- : PENTA-

20. Drink from leaves : TEA

21. Hockey legend Bobby et al. : ORRs. A stinker entry.

22. Sea north of Poland : BALTIC

25. Grubs and maggots : LARVAE

29. Manhattan sch. : NYU. The Manhattan in New York City, this time.

30. "Garfield" pooch : ODIE

31. Fan mag : ZINE

34. Annual parade celeb : ST. PAT. It should have indicated an abbv., not for PAT, that shortened version was indicated by 'celeb', but for ST.

42. Joe Cocker's "You __ Beautiful" : ARE SO. Clip.(2:22)

43. Formal coiffure : UPDO

44. Alan of "The Aviator" : ALDA

45. Slangy "No reason" : 'CUZ. Based on BECAUSE.

47. "Amen to that!" : "I'LL SAY!"

55. Disinclined : AVERSE

56. Works a tough row? : HOEs. Easy now.

57. "The Amazing Race" airer : CBS. TV show(I never watch).

60. Prove apt for : BEFIT

63. Mountain ridge : ARETE

64. www address : URL

65. Otherworldly : EERIE

66. IHOP condiment : SYRUP

67. 1/30 of abril : DIA. Spanish. 1 abril - el Día de los Inocentes. (All Fools Day)

68. Seed anew : RESOW

Down:

1. Sort through, as for clues : SIFT

2. Fit of fever : AGUE

3. It's near the 17-Across : ULNA. Diagram that shows where the ulna nerve stretches over the bone in the elbow. That is what tingles when you hit it.

4. Put one over on : CON

5. Cellist with 16 Grammys : YOYO MA. Elgar Cello Concerto, 2nd mvmt.(3:00) The Jimi Hendrix of classic music.

6. Item in a fall stash : ACORN. If you're a squirrel.

7. Art able to : CANST. Dost thou knoweth this word?

8. Tropical cyclone center : EYE

9. 41st president, affectionately : PAPA BUSH

10. Clear as __ : A BELL

11. Slowly, in music : LENTO

12. "It slices! It dices!" gadget Veg-O-__ : MATIC

13. Wallop : SMACK

18. Zephyr : BREEZE

22. Journalist Nellie : BLY. Nellie Bly (1864 – 1922) was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran.

24. What all good things come to : AN END. That English proverb from yesterday.

25. Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song : LOCA. "Livin' La Vida Loca".

26. Month after Shevat : ADAR

27. Increase : RISE

28. November honorees : VETS

32. Liar Joe in old TV car ads : ISUZU. David Leisure as Joe Isuzu, Isuzu Pup - Island Ad.

33. Hip flask quickie : NIP

35. Greenish blue : TEAL

36. Sidekicks : PALS

37. Verdi opera : "AIDA"

38. Projector's slide holder : TRAY

40. Rigidly inflexible process : LOCKSTEP. Surprize.

41. Worked arduously : TOILED

46. Arles article : UNE. French.

48. Like the preferable evil : LESSER

49. Rum-soaked cakes : BABAs

50. Lincoln Center's __ Fisher Hall : AVERY. The hall was named for Fisher in 1973 after he made a $10.5 million donation to the Philharmonic. (Well, no wonder.)

51. Allude (to) : REFER

52. Verdi aria that means "It was you" : ERI TU

53. Strasbourg sweetheart : CHERI. Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in northeastern France.

54. Eucalyptus muncher : KOALA

57. Jaguar and Impala : CARS

58. Verve : BRIO

59. Hearty entrée : STEW

61. 1963 Paul Newman film : "HUD"

62. Casual top : TEE

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, March 7, 2011 Scott Atkinson

Theme: Reduplication - Four 9-letter words or phrases  that only the rhyming part is the same; the initial part is different. The vowel is different in each entry.

17A. Small-time: RINKY DINK

53A. Fortunate one: LUCKY DUCK

10D. Wham-O footbag: HACKY SACK

29D. Cheap dance hall: HONKY TONK

Argyle here. I couldn't come up with an entry that could have used an "E". Other terms that are occasionally used for this linguistics feature include cloning, doubling, duplication, and repetition. These are fun words to speak and made for a fun Monday.

Across:

1A. Pet adoption ctr.: SPCA

5A. Like drive-thru orders: TO GO

9A. Cash alternative: CHECK

14A. Come __ end: conclude: TO AN. As all good things must. English Proverb.

15A. Most eligible for the draft: ONE A

16A. Popular branch of yoga: HATHA. Is there a name for practitioners of yoga?

19A. Have __ with: talk to: A CHAT

20A. Like strictly religious Jews: ORTHODOX

21A. Invite to enter: ASK IN

22A. Fawn's mother: DOE

23A. Family folk: KIN. Alliteration.

24A. Simple to apply, in adspeak: EASY ON

25A. Approx. leaving hour: ETD. Estimated Time of Departure. Close to the actual time, usually, unlike ETD, Estimated Time of Delivery.

26A. Some Ga. Tech grads: EEs. Electrical Engineers.

27A. Pass along softly, as a secret: WHISPER

29A. Coin flip call: Abbr.: HDs.. Unnecessary abbr.

30A. Yuletide spiced ales: WASSAILS. Santa knows wassail, and not that wassail lite stuff, either.

31A. Número after siete: OCHO. Spanish

34A. Fellows: MEN

35A. Stage group: CAST

36A. Occur together: COINCIDE

39A. '60s atty. general who served under his brother: RFK

41A. Elephants, e.g.: TUSKERS

42A. End of a giggle: HEE

43A. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. Don't hear much about PCP these days; bad stuff.

46A. Completely stump: STYMIE. Origin unknown but used by golfers when a competitors ball is between his ball and the hole. Nowadays, the obstructing ball must be moved, the wimps.

47A. "May __ excused?": I BE

48A. Significant period: ERA

49A. Handy bags: TOTEs

50A. Rodin or Michelangelo: SCULPTOR

52A. Evita's married name: PERON. Née Duarte.

54A. Put on a coat?: PAINT

55A. Color of suede shoes, in song: BLUE

56A. __-Seltzer: ALKA

57A. Hockey disks: PUCKS

58A. Dines: SUPS

59A. Mouth off to: SASS

Down:

1D. Walked decisively: STRODE

2D. Christie sleuth Hercule: POIROT. He was on the Orient Express when a murder occurred.

3D. On a slant: CANTED. The way wine is stored, to keep the cork from drying out.

4D. Pharaoh's cross: ANKH. This lucky duck has two. Image.

5D. Hot alcoholic drinks: TODDIES. Santa knows hot toddies, too. (Lois is his special "hot toddy".)

6D. Burger toppers: ONIONS

7D. Group with thirtysomethings, briefly: GEN X. Generation X is the generation born after the Baby Boomers, circa 1970 to 1980.

8D. "Mighty" tree: OAK. "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow." English Proverb.

9D. Vehicle's framework: CHASSIS. Ford is still using in their full-size cars, the chassis introduced in 1979, the Panther platform.

11D. Addis Ababa's country: ETHIOPIA. Map.

12D. Television watcher's choices: CHANNELS

13D. Kit __ bar: KAT

18D. Teamed, as oxen: YOKED

21D. Massage reactions: AAHs. shout out to melissa b.

24D. McGregor of "Moulin Rouge!": EWAN

28D. Q-U connection: RST

30D. Like small laddies: WEE

31D. Halloween mo.: OCT.

32D. "Undersea World" explorer Jacques: COUSTEAU

33D. Momentous: HISTORIC

34D. Warehouse gds.: MDSE.

37D. Joins, as stones in a wall: CEMENTS

38D. Colored part of the eye: IRIS

39D. Expresses stern disapproval of: REBUKES

40D. Touchy-__: FEELY

42D. Diaphragm spasm that may be cured by holding one's breath: HICCUP. One way to spell it.

43D. "Downtown" singer Clark: PETULA

44D. Onion soup holders: CROCKS

45D. Hooded coats: PARKAS

50D. "Star Trek" helmsman: SULU

51D. Palmtop computers: Abbr.: PDAs. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

52D. Very quietly, to Beethoven: PPP. The dynamic marking for a note played extremely quietly, pianissimo.

53D. Scale abbr.: LBS.
 

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday March 6, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Adductional TV - An extra letter is added to one word of each familiar TV show and the resulting phrase is accordingly clued. (Added later: John just pointed out that "the added letter is always the second letter of one of the words".)

25A. Documentary about a Ravi Shankar concert tour? : SITAR TREK. "Star Trek".

27A. Sitcom about an endearing dimwit? : LOVE THAT BOOB. "Love That Bob". Unknown to me. Fun new phrase. I bet Dennis wants a different clue.

43A. Show about a nonsensical grain grinder? : BLARNEY MILLER. 'Barney Miller".

70A. Drama about an opinionated military? : JUDGING ARMY. "Judging Amy".

100A. Talk show about words like "zeppelin" and "dirigible"? : THE FLYING NOUN. "The Flying Nun".

119A. Sitcom about a team of aromatherapists? : THE MOOD SQUAD. "The Mod Squad".

122A. Financial show about the fermented honey market? : MEAD MONEY. Mad Money.

39D. Drama about an Asian virus? : KUNG FLU. "Kung Fu"

63D. Drama about an obnoxious superhero? : BRAT MAN. "Batman".

I don't quite get the title, John. Does "Adducational" (in place of "Educational") simply signal a letter addition? I wish the added letters I, O, L, R, O, O, E, I & R amount to "ucational". That would be a perfect title.

I like the varieties of the shows, also the way the 9 theme answers are arranged in the grid, giving solvers a piece to bite in every section.

Normally we don't see non-theme answers like URBAN MYTH (6D. Modern folklore) & ARISTOTLE longer than theme answers, as they might befuddle solvers. But all the question marks & "show"/"drama" indications in today's theme clues avoid any confusion. Plus, those two words just look pretty in the grid.

Also a pangram, all 26 letters are used at least once. No helper squares. Clean grid. Moderate amount of clechos today.

Across:

1. Shrimp kin : PRAWN. So, why the plural for prawn is prawns, but the plural for shrimp remains the same?

6. Eclipse shadow : UMBRA

11. Grain layer : BRAN. Fiber-rich.

15. Pennsylvanie, e.g. : ETAT. French spelling: Pennsylvanie.

19. Bellow's "The Adventures of __ March" : AUGIE. No idea. It's a Saul Bellow novel.

20. "Air Music" Pulitzer winner, 1976 : ROREM (Ned)

21. Like Hubbard's cupboard : BARE

22. Very attractive : FOXY. Do you think Megan Fox is foxy?

23. Amherst sch. : U MASS

24. Bowlers have them : BRIMS. Bowler hats. Of course I was thinking of strikes/spares.

30. Reserved : SET ASIDE. Oh, I was thinking of "shy" reserved.

31. Geometry figure : AREA

32. On __-to-know basis : A NEED

33. Hypothetical primates : APEMEN

35. Not at all excited : CALM

37. Entered gradually : EASED IN

39. Waste, as time : KILL

48. Giant in the woods : SEQUOIA. Giant sequoia. Not some giant animal.

50. "Great taste" beers, familiarly : LITEs. Miller Lite.

51. Summer goal, maybe : TAN

52. "No __!" : PROB

54. Pressed for payment : DUNNED. Caused problem for some solvers last time. My brother knows very limited English, dun is one of them.

55. "__ all in your mind" : IT'S

56. Moral principles : ETHICS

59. Lincoln Ctr. site : NYC

61. Prolonged pain : AGONY

62. Hopi home : PUEBLO

64. Symbol on the film poster for Eastwood's "Hang 'Em High" : NOOSE

67. Mt. Shasta's state : CALIF

69. Box for practice : SPAR

73. Sheep's kin : LAMB. Lambkin. Lampkin.

77. In concert : AS ONE

79. Natural sponge : LOOFA

80. Telescope eyepiece : OCULAR

82. Brooks of country : GARTH. Garth Brooks. Country music.

85. Boston Coll. conference since 2005 : ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)

87. Confident comeback : SO CAN I

89. JFK posting : ETA

90. Ill will : ANIMUS. Anima is "Jung's feminine side".

92. "Mayor" author : KOCH (Ed)

95. Former USSR member : UKR (Ukraine)

96. Ankle bones : TARSI

98. Early stage : INFANCY

103. Many a texting whiz : TEEN

104. 10,000 square meters : HECTARE. New word to me. Hect denotes 100. I don't know how 10,000 comes from.

106. Lampblack : SOOT

107. Sioux enemies : OMAHAS

108. Starbucks size : VENTI. Italian for "twenty". Hence 20 ounces.

111. Attending USC, e.g. : IN LA

115. Like some drilling : OFFSHORE

124. Straight up : ERECT. And 1D. "Straight Up" singer Abdul : PAULA

125. Bizarre : OUTRE

126. Procter & Gamble razor : ATRA

127. Cowardly Lion's farmhand alter ego : ZEKE. And then BRAIN (76. Scarecrow's lack).

128. Of the kidneys : RENAL

129. Got together : MET UP

130. Really smell : REEK

131. Ice cream brand : EDY'S. Crossword constructor's favorite ice cream brand. Super friendly grid edge word.

132. Nonplus : ADDLE

133. Until now : AS YET

Down:

2. Bit of tongue-wagging : RUMOR

3. Mescal source : AGAVE

4. Joker : WISEACRE

5. Twitter source : NEST. Bird. Not the Twitter Charlie Sheen has been exploiting. Just a publicity stunt. He's not insane. Really.

7. "Le __ d'Arthur" : MORTE. The Death of Arthur.

8. Payoff : BRIBE

9. Do over, as a kitchen : REMODEL

10. "Are not!" comeback : AM SO

11. Hardly big shots? : BBs. Nice clue.

12. Like a bump on a log : RAISED

13. Goddess of the hunt : ARTEMIS. Apollo's twin sister.

14. Straightened up : NEATENED. OK, a bit of an echo to the "Straight up" earlier.

15. New newts : EFTs.

16. Inner tube shapes : TORI. Plural of torus. Don't confuse it with TORII the Japanese gateway. Or Angels' Torri Hunter.

17. Hewed : AXED

18. Little shaver : TYKE. Shaver = Small boy.

26. Tried to get a seat : RAN

28. "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" speaker : HALE (Nathan)

29. More despicable : BASER

34. 1955 Argentine coup victim : PERON. Which one, Eva or Juan?

36. First name in nature photography : ANSEL (Adams)

38. Chalet backdrop : ALP

40. Sphere opening : IONO. Ionosphere. Ha Ha, this is the word Jayce wanted on Saturday. Dictionary says it means "ionized".

41. Property claim : LIEN

42. Feminine title : LADY

43. Air traffic images : BLIPS

44. Like the sky during fireworks : LIT-UP

45. On a liner, say : AT SEA

46. Liner's primary section : MAIN DECK. I've never boarded a liner.

47. Disguised, briefly : INCOG (Incognito)

49. Wharf on the Seine : QUAI. Quai d'Orsay. Nice area.

53. Old-timey words of emphasis : BY CRACKY. Have yet to see anyone uses it in our blog.

57. WWII Axis general : TOJO. The Japanese general. Responsible for Pearl Harbor attack.

58. Earthworm environs : SOIL

60. Short film maker? : CAM. Awesome clue.

65. Cone head? : SNO. Sno-cone.

66. Big heads : EGOS. Consecutive "head".

68. Rhône city : LYON

71. Juanita's "a" : UNA

72. Entangled : AFOUL. Run afoul of.

74. Last Olds made : ALERO

75. Quemoy neighbor : MATSU. Matsu Island. Gave me trouble, as we call it "Mazu Island" in China. Quemoy also has a different name: Kinmen (or Jinmen). See this map? Only Kinmen.

78. Eschew : SHUN

81. BP competitor : CITGO

82. Pace : GAIT

83. Only daughter of Elizabeth II : ANNE

84. Abundant : RIFE

86. Terra __ : COTTA

88. Rembrandt's contemplative subject : ARISTOTLE. With a bust of Homer. See here.

91. Gossip : SCHMOOZE. Fun word.

93. Longtime New Yorker cartoonist Roz : CHAST. Saw ROZ clued as "Cartoonist Chast" before.

94. "I Saw __ Again": 1966 hit : HER

97. Appraised items on a PBS "Roadshow" : ANTIQUES. Loved "Antiques Roadshow".

99. Had a hankering : YEARNED

101. Frantic : FEVERED

102. Villain to "avoid" in 1980s Domino's Pizza ads, with "the" : NOID. Here is a clip. Off my radar.

105. Insolent : CHEEKY

107. Resistance unit : OHM

109. Edit : EMEND

110. Dieter-friendly : NO-CAL. No calorie. And 117. Diet : FARE.

112. Like fruitcakes : NUTTY

113. Oater actor Lash : LARUE. Do you know why westerns are called oaters?

114. Like crackerjacks : ADEPT

115. General Bradley : OMAR

116. Grand affair : FETE

118. Black Hills st. : S DAK

120. Zeus' spouse : HERA

121. "Brave New World" drug : SOMA

123. Puzzle finisher's cry : YES. I like how it ends today's Down answers.

Answer grid.

Here are two pictures from WM's "Almost Edible" gallery show. Click on each one for clearer definition.

C.C.

Saturday March 5th, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total words: 72

Total blocks: 31

Hi There ~! A Saturday Silk, and one with a "standard" looking grid, with three entries across the top, which might have been misleading.... put me in a good mood to start, despite the series of blanks I had to begin with, and even when I hit -

4D. It's radioactive : UNSTABLE ISOTOPE

and

10D. "Seriously" : NO KIDDING AROUND

the two 15-letter grid climbers ( they don't quite "span" the grid ).

I was able to finish this one, compared to last Saturday's brutal offering.

It is an honor for me to appear as a guest blogger today, so I hope you enjoy ~!

Thanks to C.C., who may have been a little concerned I was not able to access the puzzle -

"It's all good"

Splynter

And away we GO ~!

ACROSS:

1. Org. distributing a "Close Guantánamo" handbook : ACLU - Not that I got this to start, but a four-letter opening made me feel confident. American Civil Liberties Union - crossword friendly.

5. Cloud : BEFOG - the verb, not Stratus, etc.

10. Stupefied : NUMB - My first music link, I am sure you know this one; I do it for karaoke all the time.

14. Geographical border : COUNTY LINE

16. Native Nebraskan : OTOE - also crossword friendly.

17. Five-time All-Star second baseman : CHASE UTLEY - With Phillies. Barry Silk is an avid Phillies fan. Was feeling very sure this was Ozzie Smith, since it fit, and the "Zs" seemed Saturday-like - I am sure C.C. knew I was wrong....

18. Item used in Wright Brothers experiments : KITE

19. Advertises : TOUTS

20. Salt : OLD SAILOR

22. How writers often work : ALONE

24. Honeysuckle shrubs : ELDERS - "And you father smells of....Elderberrys ~!"

25. Algerian quarter : CASBAH - Some one else can link The Clash....

28. Dragging : TIRED - As in "man, I'm tired"

30. Historical Russian region : URAL

31. 1987 Costner role : NESS - From "The Untouchable". Had Robin HOOD first.

33. Climber's observation : VISTA - I had SCENE to start.

37. Classic diner feature : JUKEBOX - Nailed it, with a "J" and "X", figured we were on our way to a pangram - but my Ozzie was wrong...

39. "Private Benjamin" Oscar nominee Eileen : BRENNAN - Had to wait for perps to remember her last name.

41. First African-American major-league coach Buck : O'NEIL. With the Cubs in 1962. Long time Negro League player/manager. Died of very old age. 94.

42. Clinton Transportation secretary : PENA (Federico)

44. Encircle : GIRD

45. Suppressed : SAT ON

47. Way to make it? : SNAPPY - Make it snappy. Made me think of this "TOUTING"

49. In : AT HOME

52. Rhino relative : TAPIR

54. Very much : QUITE A LOT - Here's the "Q"; oh yeah, now we got it....

56. Land rover : NOMAD

60. Sphere lead-in : ATMO - WAG-ed HEMI to start.

61. Gibberish : MUMBO JUMBO - Nailed it.

63. Toon modeled after Clara Bow : BOOP - Betty Boop? Really?

64. One-sided : UNBALANCED - Makes me think of microphones.

65. Nice weapon : ARME - Nice the City in France. Only "foreign" word today, I think.

66. Edit menu command : PASTE - I cheated, and pulled the menu down to look...

67. Prank : DIDO - Had to use Dictionary to find this, otherwise, you get her ; I know her voice from "Here With Me", with Thievery Corporation

DOWN:

1. Credit Union holding: Abbr. : ACCT - Would you get this with Credit abbr as Cr.?

2. Fish also called a blue jack : COHO - Salmon

3. Tiki torch setting : LUAU

5. Sch. associated with the LDS Business College : BYU - Brigham Young University, a half WAG that I surmised from Latter-Day Saints. This puzzle only has two 3-letter answers.

6. John of England : ELTON. Elton John. Not toilet.

7. Some bass pieces : FILLETS

8. Linear, for short : ONE-D (One-Dimensional). Got me at first, and I am a CAD drafter; must be too early....

9. Jet creator : GEYSER - oh, a generic "jet", not the guy who came up with the engine....

11. Functional : UTILE

12. Drive : MOTOR - As in taking the car for a spin.

13. Cold drafts : BEERS - Not for six years; we have some friends here that will toast with a few beers and such....

15. Magnetic induction unit : TESLA - Science lesson, seen before.

21. Pain relief brand : ALEVE - Had ADVIL to start; is this a drug company thing, matching letters and alliteration?

23. "This can't be!" : OH NO ~!

25. Rabid dog of Castle Rock : CUJO - of Stephen King's novel of the same name; Maine is a very horrible place when you get to know Steve...

26. Make __ for it : A RUN

27. Interest : SAKE - For the "sake" of....

29. Amazon.com ID : ISBN - Book IDs, I think

32. Fair : EXPO - Loved the Home Depot Expo, their high-end stuff, before they closed their doors.

34. Prune : SNIP

35. You might see one on a woodpile : TARP - Also diamonds in baseball.

36. Singer Williams : ANDY

38. Rap : BLAME - "I ain't gonna take the..."

40. Abrasive sound : RASP

43. Lays away : ENTOMBS - Nice clue; very "visual" - awesome album cover

46. Ally : TEAM UP - The verb, not the noun.

48. Common video game fighter : NINJA

49. Jordan's only port : AQABA - Geography rocks; top right of the map

50. Personally train : TUTOR

51. Bleachers sign : HI MOM ~! - My mom broke her ankle Thursday. She's OK, considering.

53. Up : AT BAT - Another baseball answer, and a clecho to 58. Not up : ABED

55. Moon goddess : LUNA - And a Harry Potter character I like; she sees dead horses, too....

57. XC years from now : MMCI. 90 + 2011 = 2101. I had MMMI to start, a little too far ahead

59. Extinct pigeon relative : DODO

62. "__ Buttermilk Sky": 1946 song : OLE - uh, a little before my time; some one may want link this one, too.

Answer grid.

Thanks for letting me share your Saturday ~!

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

I'm very pleased to announce that Splynter (Richie) has accepted my invitation to become a member of our blogging team. He'll cover 1-2 puzzles per month.